Monday, January 25, 2016

I Believe God Loves Everyone

God Loves Everyone.

God loves You.

Personally. Knowing everything about you, God loves you. He's even written a whole book about it. In it He describes the kind of excited, adoring love He has for you and me. It's called Song of Solomon. Look it up sometime. My favorite part is when he describes His love as a "lily among the thorns."

The whole rest of the Bible tells you about His love as well. It speaks a beautiful, enduring tale of God first bringing human beings, you and me, into existence, the rebellion of the race He created, and the ultimate, the consummate, sacrifice He made to bring us back again. Yes. The Bible is, among other things, a love story.

He loves you, as a person, no matter what you do. No matter how many times you reject Him, no matter how many times you defy His laws, He will love you, as His own special, unique creation through it all. Don't believe me? Read Hosea.

God loved you first (1 John 4:10). That's a very encouraging thought. Have you ever tried to love someone who didn't love you? All you want to do is talk with them, rest in their presence, and be together. You want to message them all day long if you are apart but you can't because they would find it annoying or awkward. When you walk together you want to hold his or her hand.... but you can't because they do not love you. They are not yours. No imagine taking just the tiniest portion of that excitement and frustration and having to deal with GOD being the person not to love you. Just think about running after God all the time for attention, and Him caring not a whit for you.

The thought would be devastating for me. "So you're telling me that the Big Guy who made it all and runs it all, the Person in charge of my eternity, doesn't care enough to even know my name?"
That might be enough to tip me over the edge.

But it isn't true. God knows who you are personally. He knows every detail of your life, every quirk of your nature. And He loves the beautiful creature He made. He loved you first. He continues to love you even if you reject Him. This is the truth.

But do not be deceived. You cannot continue to reject this love without consequences. If you continually ran from every single perfect relationship and allowed only relationships that hurt you and dragged you down your life would be a burden to you. God is the perfect Husband, Friend, Father. You cannot dismiss Him and expect your life to be perfect. This is also the truth.

Monday, January 18, 2016

I Believe in God

I believe in God.

There. I said it.

I don't believe in Allah. I don't believe in Buddha. I don't believe in any of the million and one gods in the world which you can make up and decide to follow. I don't believe He is the same as any of them, and they are not Him.

No, I believe in God. I believe He is real. I believe He exists.

I believe He is real because I have been taught about His existence from my childhood. My parents, church, friends, mentors - They have all told me about Him. Of course, being told about something doesn't make it true. But  "
how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?" (Rom. 10:14). 

I believe in Him because He answers me. Not audibly. Not audibly with His own voice. But He answers me. I'll be praying for an answer and He will guide me to His answer in the Bible. My missions team will need money to continue travelling. A family will come forward with a donation. Driving towards an outdoor club, the sky blackens and rain starts falling. The team bows their heads, prays, and opens their eyes to see the sun shining brightly and the clouds gone. My car is broken down in the middle of Kansas, hours away from home. After asking for His help, the car starts again. 

These could all be coincidence. But the chances of even one of these things happening on their own is remote, and after this happening time after time, year after year, the odds are stacked against you. I do not believe they are coincidence. It has been a very long time since I have believed in coincidences. 

I believe in Him because I have felt His presence. This is not calculable. This is not measurable. But I have felt His presence in a backyard when a child talks to Him, asks for forgiveness of sin, and asks Him to make the child His own. When my volleyball team won championship, and the whole team was screaming with joy, He was there, because He takes pleasure in a job well done for Him. I have felt Him in the middle of a code at the hospital, when my patient is going down the tube fast and I cry out "God I don't know what to do!".... And he fills my mind, calms my heart, and shows me what needs to be done. When I stood inside my empty apartment and felt darkness and loneliness destroying my heart, when I crumpled to the floor and sobbed out to Him "God is it even worth it? Should I just give up? Can't I just run away?" He circled me in love. He filled me with love. He sent me friends to pour into so I could forget my own worries. He introduced me to completely new people who talked to me in my loneliest hours at night and distracted me from my thoughts. I don't think they'll ever know how grateful I am to them.

So yes, I believe in God. Sure it's not the most compelling argument in the world for His existence. It's short. Not a lot of measurable evidence. But it's there: my belief. And I will continue to believe it.